Thermometers and hygrometers
Thermometers
Modern terrarium shops offer a wide range of different equipment for measuring and maintaining temperature and humidity in terrariums and aquariums. It should be remembered that the use of mercury thermometers is strictly prohibited, if such a thermometer breaks, the animal may die. Try to place thermometers and hygrometers out of the turtle’s reach.
The temperature regime is the basis of keeping turtles! Incorrectly measuring, checking, adjusting and maintaining proper temperature conditions is a huge mistake. Every turtle owner should have the most modern temperature measuring devices, including remote ones. There are four zones to control: warm side, cold side, heating spot and night temperature. You must know all four of them. Obviously, one thermometer is not enough. Do you want to have a sick pet? Watch the temperature!
It is important for tropical turtle owners not to overcool their pets at night. It is necessary to use either ceramic elements or colored lamps.
In a terrarium, thermometers are designed to measure air temperature, they are usually placed at 2 points – the basking zone (i.e. under the heat lamp) and in the cold zone (next to the shelter). In the aquaterrarium, 2 thermometers are also needed: one for measuring the temperature of the air that is located above the land zone (we considered such thermometers above), and the second for measuring the water temperature – special aquarium thermometers that are sold in pet stores are suitable for this purpose.
Ordinary alcohol thermometers or aquarium alcohol thermometers + sold in hardware stores or any aquarium pet stores + are cheap + easy to mount – look unaesthetic – weak suction cup – a turtle can tear them off the glass – glass case – a turtle can break
Digital or LCD thermometers for terrarium or aquarium They are thin horizontal rulers, one side of which is sticky, and on the other side there are numbers horizontally, the temperature is shown by colored stripes. + thin, can be mounted both outside and inside the terrarium – they show the temperature not with arrows, but with stripes, which is not very convenient
Electronic thermometers with display They consist of a display to be placed in/out of the terrarium and a touch sensor with suction cup and cable to be attached to the terrarium. Runs on batteries that need to be changed. + very accurate temperature measurement + small sensor takes up very little space and is almost invisible in the terrarium + the battery needs to be changed very rarely – once every six months or a year – uncomfortable suction cup on the touch sensor – it does not attach the sensor to the glass well, and it constantly falls off – it is expensive, but if analogues are cheaper on Aliexpress
Thermometers for terrariums with arrows Small round thermometers, on the back there is a special Velcro or suction cup to stick them to the glass. Such thermometers are offered by various manufacturers: Exoterra, JBL, ReptiZoo, Lucky Reptile, etc. + small and compact, look beautiful in a terrarium + easy to mount – the sticker is fragile, thermometers often fall off, you have to attach it to double-sided tape – despite the considerable price, they can give errors in measurement, or even turn out to be defective
Hygrometers
Hygrometers are used to measure the humidity level in a terrarium. The hygrometer is glued to the wall of the terrarium from the inside. It can track changes in humidity. If the humidity level has fallen below the required level for this species of turtle, place a bathing suit in the terrarium and / or spray the soil with water. Terrarium hygrometers can be conventional round or electronic with sensors. Also on sale are thermohygrometers (measure temperature and humidity).
Temperature controller
Serve to control the temperature in the terrarium, the device turns off the heating if the temperature rises above the set value, or turns on the heating when the temperature drops. You can buy as well as a relay, in the household. stores and in the terrarium departments of pet stores. It is set to not exceed the temperature of 35 degrees.
The most convenient in operation are thermostats with a sensor immersed in water on a flexible waterproof cord. This design allows you to tightly cover the aquarium with a coverslip or lid. Electronic thermostats are more accurate and reliable.
It is necessary to place the thermostat next to the heater, at a distance not exceeding five centimeters. When buying a thermostat, it is better to choose sealed models that allow complete immersion in water, taking into account the maximum allowable load. For good thermostats, it can reach 100 watts.
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